Are you an overachiever? Do already you know what you want to do with your life? Would you like to get through college and into a job or grad program ASAP?
If you just answered “yes” to all of these questions, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a growing movement designed to help students just like you. Specifically, there’s a drive to offer college students a bachelor's degree that they can complete in three years instead of four.
These three-year bachelor’s programs may be “condensed” and/or “trimmed” programs. “Condensed” programs involve extra semesters of full-time schooling (most often during the summer); “trimmed” programs require fewer credits for students to complete.
Either way, you’ll finish your undergrad education and move to the next stage of your life a year early. (If you plan on going right into the workforce, this will give you an extra year of full-time earnings.) “Trimmed” programs also offer a lower overall price tag.
While the three-year bachelor’s movement is still in its early stages, schools such as University of Rhode Island, Southern New Hampshire University, UMass—Amherst, and Chatham University are early adopters. Additionally, Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander has been a big proponent of such programs in his state, and Ohio Governor John Kasich recently spoke of bringing them to the Buckeye state (you can check out the Kasich story here).
You should know, however, that such programs are not for those who want or need to take a year of college to figure out what they want to do. They are rigorous and fast-paced—i.e., not for the faint-of-heart.
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